Feather, Scale and Song
by Azriella Helsing
Summary: Eventual HarribardxOC. Meh approach to Canon. Trigger warnings for later chapters include Depressed!OC, thoughts of suicide/worthlessness, and others will be posted as they come up. Crossposted on tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

She shifted her dark skirt, smoothing her dress for the umpteenth time. The walls were either white or made of glass. She was torn between wanting to take crayons to the walls and feeling overly exposed. Bile rose in her throat and she wondered if her breath smelled bad, despite the three breath mints she'd had already.

 _Also_ , she thought bitterly, _you would think in a multibillion dollar company, they would have nicer chairs._ It was true that, despite a thorough K-12 education and thus plenty of experience with hard plastic chairs, her ass was starting to get sore. She glanced up at the ceiling. _Again with the glass and the non-offensive white._

She had been waiting in STAR Labs for her job appointment for over fifteen minutes now. That meant her hopefully-soon-to-be-new-boss was five minutes late, as she had arrived ten minutes early. It was only five minutes, there was still plenty of time for him to get there, right? At least, that was what she had been telling herself to fight off the rising panic growing inside her. She had been grinding her teeth without realizing it for the past three minutes. Realizing it now, she attempted to desist.

 _The accelerator is supposed to go online in two weeks. Maybe they decided they didn't need me after all-?_

No sooner than this worrisome thought occurred to her, than the elevator across from her dinged. Out stepped Harrison Wells himself. Her mild panic morphed into full-blown, mindless terror. _Shit. Shit. Shit_. He was looking at her and walking in her direction. She stood, too nervous to sit still.

"Hello, I am Dr. Harrison Wells. I thought I would oversee your interview today." He looked at her expectantly, so she forced herself to speak.

"Of-of course. Hi. I mean, hello, I mean- sorry." She stuttered.

"What for, you are Britney Stuart, applying for the new internship position, correct?" Dr. Wells asked.

"Yes, yes, that's me." She said quickly.

He looked at her for a moment, then turned to the receptionist.

"Where is Dr. Snow?" He asked pleasantly.

"Right behind you, Dr. Wells!" said a friendly, albeit cool voice behind him.

"And Cisco?" Dr. Wells asked.

"Also right behind you, Dr. Wells." Said a warmer voice from behind Dr. Snow.

"Very good. If you three will come with me." Dr. Wells said before walking away.

Britney followed, Dr. Snow falling into step with you and Cisco bringing up the rear. The four of you stepped into a small room with four chairs, three on one side, one on the other. It seemed made for the express purpose of making Britney nervous.

"So, Britney," said Dr. Wells after everyone had been seated, "I'm going to be honest with you. Despite our stellar reputation at STAR Labs, we have had very few applicants, and even fewer who lasted longer than a week. Tell me, why are you any different?"

"I-um- I… I really need this internship for college credit and I'm really passionate about organizing and helping people and-"

Dr. Wells pinched the bridge of his nose. He was obviously irritated with her response, while Dr. Snow and Cisco merely looked amused.

"I meant, what makes you any different from any of the other candidates we have looked at?" he said brusquely.

"I honestly don't know. I mean, I can listen and follow directions and I- I'm sorry, but I'm kinda distracted by how awesome Cisco's shirt is." She said, grasping at anything that might help her.

Cisco grinned. "Nice! A 2016 Ghostbusters fan! I mean," he said as Dr. Wells glared at him, "not nice…?"

"If you cannot focus for a simple interview, why should I hire you at all?" Dr. Wells demanded.

"Because, like you said, no intern's lasted more than a week with you and if you had anyone else to look at, you would have thrown me out of the office already." Britney said. She had no idea what made her say that, except she was so nervous she was ready to snap.

"So, you're saying we're desperate?" Dr. Wells asked. He was smiling now. It was the sort of cat-caught-the-canary smile that lets the other person know that they are fucked if they give the wrong answer. Britney squared her shoulders, looked Harrison Wells in the eye and said,

"Yes."

Dr. Wells' smile grew. "I'll see you Monday morning, 8AM, sharp. Also, bring donuts. The company will reimburse you later."

"How-how many donuts do you need?"

Dr. Wells turned to Cisco. "Two dozen should be enough?"

Cisco shook his head. "Better make it three."

Dr. Wells nodded and turned back to Britney. "Three dozen."

"Oh-Ok! Thank you so much Dr. Wells-!"

"The door is that way," he said, a bit gentler this time.

"Right." She gathered her things and made for the door.

"Oh, and Britney?" he said.

"Yes?"

"Welcome to the company."


	2. Chapter 2

"Dr. Wells, you need to get to the Cortex, like, right now." Britney heard Cisco's voice over the STAR Labs Intercom. Wait. STAR Labs intercom? What-?

Then she remembered. The particle accelerator! It had gone terribly wrong and-

She remembered a flash of light, like a force field, coming closer and closer. She remembered pain. But then, was she dead? No, she couldn't be, could she? But then…?

She registered movement beside her and something warm was taken out of her hand. She tried to close her fingers on it, because she was so cold, but her fingers wouldn't obey her. Panic began to rise in her chest. Was she dead? No… no, she couldn't be dead, could she? She felt like she was lying on something kinda soft, but with something hard underneath it, like metal. And maybe blankets? There was something that felt scratchy against her sensitive skin. She wasn't dead, then, just paralyzed for the moment. Panic rose in her again. What if this was permanent? What if she were stuck like this, forever listening to that damn EKG machine? What if-?

 _It's not permanent, calm down_. A voice echoed from the recesses of her mind.

 _Who-who are you?_ Britney asked timidly.

 _You don't recognize the voice of your conscience?_ The female voice asked in a tone of amusement.

 _Azriella? My imaginary friend?_ Britney asked.

 _The one and only. But don't fret. You will wake and will be able to move soon enough._ Replied Azriella. _In the meantime, I would suggest singing to yourself_.

 _What should I sing?_

 _Something lively._

Britney obeyed.

After a while, Britney felt herself twitch. That was encouraging. She heard voices in the hallway outside. She tried to call out, but the voices moved on, and she wasn't sure she had actually vocalized anything.

 _Be_ _patient_. Azriella ordered. _You've been in a coma for nine months, you're not going to recover in ten minutes. Easy does it._

So, Britney waited, singing to herself some more.

Some ten minutes later, or as near to ten minutes as she could figure, a squeak sounded by her bed. Something warm slipped into her hand again.

"Britney," Dr. Wells' soft voice sounded beside her, "I am sorry about what happened to you that night. I will do _everything_ in my power to make it up to you. Please, please wake up."

Britney felt her eyelashes flutter of their own accord, a single tear streamed down her face. The warm thing in her hand tightened around said hand.

"Britney? Britney, can you hear me? Britney?" Dr. Wells' voice seemed intensified somehow, despite not picking up in volume.

"Dr. Wells?" Cisco's voice called from the hallway, "shouldn't we be focusing our attention on Barry right now?"

Barry? Who was Barry? Britney instantly felt herself grow jealous. Dr. Wells apparently did not like the question either, because Cisco's reply was a muttered, "Right, sorry." And receding footsteps.

"Britney?" Dr. Wells' voice was even softer now, but was still laced with an edge of desperation. "Britney, please wake up."

 _Azzie? Can I wake up now? He sounds worried for some reason._

 _I will help you._

With Azriella's assistance, Britney was finally able to open her eyes. The face of Harrison Wells greeted her. He was sitting beside her, his hand in hers. Wait, sitting? Was that a-?

"Yeah, I'm in a wheelchair now. It happened the same night you went into a coma." Dr. Wells said, noticing her staring.

"I-" Britney's voice cracked and felt mumble-y. "I'm sorry, Dr. Wells-"

"No, Britney, I alone am responsible for putting myself in this chair. I earned the blame and I'm not interested in sharing it."

"I still shouldn't have stared. I'm sorry."

Dr. Wells scoffed. He squeezed her hand and let go.

"I'll have Caitlin come in and have a look at you." He said, then began to wheel away.

"Dr. Wells?" she called after him.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," said Britney, "for not letting me wake up alone, that is."

"You're welcome." Dr. Wells smiled at her. "But you need a doctor and some rest. I'll leave you alone, for the time being."

Caitlin came in a while later, but she wasn't the vibrant Dr. Snow, the ice queen with the sunlight glittering out of her that she remembered. This Caitlin had a blank expression, terrible bedside manner, and dead brown eyes.

"Caitlin?" Britney finally ventured to ask. "Is everything all right?"

"My once promising career in bioengineering is over. My boss is in a wheelchair for life, and the explosion that put you in a coma killed Ronnie, so no, everything is not all right."

"I'm sorry." Britney responded sincerely.

"It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault." Caitlin seemed determined to defend Dr. Wells. Changing the subject, Caitlin said, "You have a mostly clean bill of health. Just a little more rest and some food and you should be back on your feet next week." Caitlin turned to go.

"Dr. Snow?" Britney called after her, "How long was I out?"

"Nine months." Caitlin left the room.

Nine months? How could Azriella have been so accurate?

 _Don't worry about it for now. Concentrate on getting better, and I promise I will explain everything later._

So, Britney, having nothing else to do, went back to sleep. Eventually.

(Page Break)

When Britney woke up, she heard arguing.

"There is no way he can run that fast." Cisco was saying.

"Well, let's do some tests and see what happens. Besides, he may create sonic booms if he runs as fast as he says he can." Dr. Wells' voice replied.

"That would be awesome!" Cisco said excitedly.

Britney looked over to the entryway to her "bedroom" at STAR Labs. Caitlin had not given her the green light to go home yet and she woke up often on her uncomfortable bed. Dr. Wells and Cisco were moving past her entryway now, clearly not having noticed she was awake. She tossed off her sheets and padded after them, barefoot. She was colder than she had been under the thin blankets. The floor beneath her feet felt like ice, but she continued in her pursuit regardless.

"Anyway, even if he is crazy, this may be our only chance to do tests on him. He refused the tests earlier, remember?" Dr. Wells continued.

"Hey, what are we talking about?" Britney asked, figuring her loud steps had already given her away.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with, Ms. Stuart." Dr. Wells replied. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" he continued.

Britney fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I can't sleep and I got curious, sorry."

"Curiosity makes for an excellent scientific mind, Ms. Stuart, but I do caution restraint." Dr. Wells said, a small hint of amusement in his voice.

"Why can't you sleep?" Cisco asked.

"The bed you guys gave me is kinda uncomfortable. I don't know who designs these things-"

"I do." Cisco interrupted. "What, you don't like my work?"

"I'm sure your work is fine, Cisco." Dr. Wells responded, saving Britney further embarrassment.

"We were just discussing Barry Allen," Dr. Wells continued, "He thinks he can run pretty fast."

"Oh, ok." Said Britney.

"Now, _you_ , should get to bed until Caitlin clears you to go home."

"Sure thing, Dr. Wells!" Britney said, giving him a silly salute as she turned away.

 _Really_? She thought to herself.

(Page Break)

"He had a _what_ that healed _when_?" Britney exclaimed.

Caitlin almost smiled. Dr. Wells was definitely smiling.

"We're going to give him the results right now, you wanna come with?" Cisco asked.

"No thanks. I think all of us in the room might overwhelm him. Maybe I could go for a burger run?" Britney asked, looking askance at Caitlin.

"You most certainly may not!" Caitlin exclaimed. "You need more rest!"

Britney sighed, then bid everyone goodbye and headed toward the STAR Labs bedroom. About twenty minutes later, Dr. Wells knocked on her open door.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Sure, I mean, it is your building, isn't it? That sounded a lot less rude in my head, I'm sorry-"

Dr. Wells put up a hand to silence her. "Quite all right," he said, "I wanted to ask you something."

"OK, shoot." Said Britney.

"Are you, by any chance, jealous of Barry Allen?" Dr. Wells asked.

"What, me? Jealous? Of course not!" Britney lied.

Dr. Wells gave her the I-am-not-buying-it look.

"Well, maybe a little-"

Still not buying it, his look said.

"All right, I'm jealous, but can you blame me? He heals a bone fracture in three hours and runs at super speed-"

"That's not why you're jealous, would you mind being honest with me?" Dr. Wells asked, starting to get impatient.

"It's just… I know this is going to sound terrible, but he's already so close with all of you and I- I don't have many friends. I know you were there for me when I woke up, but…" Britney trailed off.

Dr. Wells tilted his head to one side and down while raising an eyebrow.

"Well," he said, "I feel responsible for putting you in that coma Ms. Stuart-"

"You know," she ventured boldly, "Before the accelerator went all to hell, you were starting to call me Britney."

"Britney," he continued, "I am truly sorry. I just thought, after everything, formality was the way to go. I'm sorry for putting you in a coma. I'm sorry for seeming a bit formal. I promise, on my life, I will make it up to you. Look, if you ever need to talk, I'm always here for you."

"Thank you, Dr. Wells."

"My pleasure," he said, before leaving the sap fest.

(Page break)

"I wasn't the only one affected by the particle accelerator explosion was I?!" Barry walked in furiously.

"Hello again, Barry. This is Britney. I know you two haven't met yet-" Dr. Wells began.

"Introductions can wait!" yelled Barry. "You said the city was safe, that there was no residual danger! But that's not true, so what really happened that night?"

Cisco and Caitlin refused to look at Barry.

"Maybe we should calm down and talk this out-" Britney began, disturbed from all the yelling.

"This is me talking it out! What happened that night?" Barry demanded.

"Well, the accelerator went active. We all felt like heroes, and then… it all went wrong. The dimensional barrier ruptured… unleashing unknown energies into our world. Antimatter, dark matter, X elements-" Wells explained.

"Those are all theoretical." Barry refused to believe it.

"And how theoretical are you? We mapped the dispersion throughout and around Central City, though we have no idea what or who was exposed. We've been searching for other meta-humans like yourself." Britney could see that Wells was starting to lose his patience. She suspected that, like her, Dr. Wells did not appreciate being shouted at.

"Meta-humans?" Barry asked.

"That's what we're calling them." Said Caitlin.

"I saw one today. He's a bank robber. He can control the weather." Said Barry.

"This just keeps getting cooler." Said Cisco breathlessly.

"This is not cool! Alright? A man died!" Barry exclaimed.

Cisco's smile dropped.

"Marden must have gotten his powers the same way I did," Barry continued, "From the storm cloud. He's still out there! We have to stop him before he hurts anyone else."

"Barry, that's a job for the police." Dr. Wells said.

"I work for the police."

"As a forensic assistant."

"You're responsible for this. For him."

"What's important is you!" For maybe the second time since she had known him, Dr. Wells raised his voice. "Not me," he continued more quietly. "I lost everything. I lost my company. I lost my reputation. I lost my freedom. " Dr. Wells clenched his fist, then jabbed his finger at Barry. "And then you broke your arm and it healed in three hours! Inside your body could be a map to a whole new world. Genetic therapies, vaccines, medicines, treasures buried deep within your cells. And we cannot risk it all because you want to go out and play hero! You're not a hero. You're just a young man who was struck by lightning."

Barry turned, then left in a huff.

There was a very pregnant pause and then, Britney had to ask.

"Dr. Wells?"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Am I- I was put into a coma by the particle accelerator too, am I one of these... these meta-humans?"

"It's possible. Your DNA was altered by the explosion, but not enough to show on our preliminary tests. We had to run extra tests on you to make sure." Dr. Wells put his hands behind his head and studied her.

"But I can't control the weather or run really fast…"

"It is possible that any powers of yours simply have yet to manifest. Please, let us know if anything unusual happens."

"Sure thing, Dr. Wells. Caitlin, are you sure I can't go on a burger run? I'm starving."

"Fine," Caitlin gave in. "Take Cisco with you."

"Why do I have to go?" Cisco asked slowly, confusion in his voice.

"To make sure she doesn't faint. And I don't want her driving, either!"

"All right." Cisco replied.

"So, what does everyone want? I think we're going to Big Belly Burger."

"Just get the usual for us, Britney." Caitlin said.

"Ok then!" Britney replied after receiving a confirmation nod from Dr. Wells.

Shortly after they all finished eating, Barry came back, this time much calmer. He set down several boxes and laid out a map of Central City.

"I've been going over unsolved cases in the last nine months, and there's been a sharp increase in unexplained deaths and missing people. Your meta-humans have been busy. I'm not blaming you. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. I know you all lost something. But I need your help to catch Marden and anyone else out there like him. I can't do it without you." Barry said.

"If we're gonna do this, I have something that might help." Cisco grinned, then walked to his lab. Britney, Caitlin and Barry followed.

"Something I've been playing with." Cisco spun around a dummy on an upright steel slab wearing what appeared to be a red leather suit. "It's designed to replace the turnouts firefighters usually wear. I thought if STAR Labs did something nice, maybe people wouldn't be so angry at Dr. Wells." He explained to Britney's questioning look.

"How is it gonna help me?" asked Barry.

"It's made of a reinforced tri-polymer. It's heat and abrasive resistant so it should withstand your moving at high-velocity speeds. And the aerodynamic design should help you maintain control. Plus, it has built in sensors so we can track your vitals and stay in contact with you from here." Said Cisco.

"Thanks," said Barry, "How do we find Marden?"

"I re-tasked the STAR Labs satellite to track meteorological abnormalities," said Caitlin while tapping on a tablet. "We just got a ping. Atmospheric pressure dropped 20 millibars in a matter of seconds. I've tracked it to a farm just west of the city."

Barry nodded and took another look at the suit before taking off in a flash of yellow lightning.

"Barry!" said Cisco from the Cortex, "Barry can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear!" replied Barry, shouting over the wind.

"If this keeps up, it could become an F-5 tornado."

"And it's headed towards the city! How do I stop it? Guys?!"

"What if he ran around it in the opposite direction?" asked Britney.

"That won't work-" Caitlin began.

"What if I ran around it in the opposite direction?" asked Barry, clearly not having heard the prior conversation.

"He'd have to clock 700 mph to do that." Said Cisco.  
"Your body may not be able to handle those speeds, you could die." Caitlin informed Barry.

"I have to try," called Barry.

So, Barry tried.

"Told you the suit would hold up!" Crowed Cisco.

"But he isn't." Snapped Caitlin.

"He can do it. I know he can do it." Replied Cisco.

"It's too strong!" called Barry.

"You can do this Barry," said Dr. Wells, appearing out of literally nowhere like the sexy shade master that he was. "You were right. I am responsible for all of this. So many people have been hurt because of me, and when I looked at you, all I saw was another potential victim of my hubris. And yes, I created this madness, but you, Barry, you can stop it. Now run, Barry, run!"

The sound of whooshing and groaning filled the Cortex, then stopped.

"Barry!" Called Caitlin.

"Barry!" She called again, after a pause.

"It's over. I'm okay." Everyone smiled in relief. Everyone except Britney, but no one noticed. Or so she thought.

"Britney? You okay?" asked Dr. Wells.

"I'm fine, I just- I think I should go for another burger run. Guy's gotta work up an appetite running that fast." She looked over at Cisco. "Celebratory burger run?"

Cisco grinned. "Celebratory Burger Run!"


	3. TW: Coerced Jumping off Building

"Barry! Barry!" Cisco yelled at his tablet.

"Did I miss it?" Barry yelled back over the coms.

"You overshot by about six blocks." Cisco walked back over to the Cortex station.

"My bad."

"Who are you talking to?" asked Caitlin.

"No one." Said Cisco shiftily.

"Were you talking to Barry?" inquired Caitlin pointedly.

"Who?" Cisco tried to bluff.

"Barry Allen, struck by lightning, was in a coma for nine months, woke up able to run faster than the speed of sound? Ring a bell?" interrogated Caitlin.

"Nope. Haven't talked to him." Lied Cisco.

"Cisco, there's fire everywhere! Cisco can you hear me?!" screamed Barry.

"Busted." Said Britney in a singsong voice from her designated corner. Not that anyone heard her, or seemed to care if they did.

"Everyone's out. Cisco, what else you got for me?" Britney could hear the stupid grin in Barry's voice.

"Barry, its Caitlin."

"Heyyy, Caitlin. How's your day?" asked Barry innocently.

"Get back to STAR Labs. Now." Caitlin barked.

"On my way."

"OOOOOOOHHHH! Barry's in trouble~!" said Britney from the corner.

"Shut up." Said Caitlin.

Barry Allen arrived shortly thereafter. It did not take long for Caitlin to start yelling.

"Have you three lost your minds?"

"Hey, I wasn't part of this. I told them it was a bad idea." Said Britney, but Caitlin ignored her.

"Who do you think you are?" Caitlin asked the two boys.

"Well, I'm the eyes and ears and he's the feet." Said Cisco.

"You can't be running around the city like some supersonic fireman!" shouted Caitlin.

"Why not? This is what we talked about. Me using my speed to do good."

"If what you're doing is so good, why did you and Cisco try to hide it?" asked Britney.

"We talked about using your speed to help find and contain meta-humans, and aside from Clyde Mardon, we haven't found _any_."

"People in this city still need help and I can help them."

"Will you please say something?" Caitlin asked Dr. Wells.

"I think what Caitlin is saying, in her own spectacularly angry way, is that we're just beginning to understand what your body is capable of." Said Dr. Wells as he wheeled into the room. "Not to sound like a broken record Mr. Allen, I do caution restraint." Dr. Wells came to a stop.

"Dr. Wells," Barry looked like he was gearing up to say something stupid, "I doubt restraint is how you got to be where you are today."

 _Fucking called it!_ Thought Britney.

"In a wheelchair and a pariah. LACK OF RESTRAINT is what made me these things. Know your limits." Dr. Wells wheeled off.

Britney went after him, but still heard Caitlin's "Don't expect me to patch you up every time you break something," to Barry. Britney had almost caught up to Dr. Wells when Caitlin's stomping heels beat her to him.

"Are you alright, Dr. Wells?" Caitlin asked.

Given that Britney was about to ask the same question, she decided to back off and give the two of them space after a quiet, "I'm fine, Dr. Snow," was uttered by her boss.

"Britney." Dr. Wells called after her, "Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?"

Britney went scarlet. "I just-um, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I guess you are, so I'll just," she pointed over her shoulder, "go."

Dr. Wells smiled. "Thank you both for your concern."

Britney didn't know what to say to that, so she just smiled awkwardly in acknowledgement as Dr. Wells wheeled away again.

"You've got it bad." Said Caitlin.

"What do you mean?" asked Britney.

Caitlin was smiling now, albeit sadly. "You're in love with Dr. Wells."

"You know?" Britney gasped.

"It's kinda hard to miss." Replied Caitlin.

"Do you think _he_ knows?" asked Britney timidly.

"He's probably waiting for you to make a move, so _make_ one! Ask him out!" Caitlin urged.

"Oh, no, I-I couldn't-"  
"Britney," Caitlin said seriously, "life is too short not to be with the people you love."

"I- I just can't." Britney said. "I need time."

"Time for what?" asked Caitlin.

"Just time." Britney said. She was spared the awkwardness of running away by Caitlin storming off in a huff.

 _Time to continue your training_. Said Azriella.

 _What training? You still haven't explained everything to me yet._ Retorted Britney.

 _All in good time, patience_. Cautioned Azriella.

 _Come on_. Whined Britney.

 _Training. Now_. Azriella replied.

 _What am I going to do for training?_ Asked Britney.

 _You're gonna jump off a building and then you're gonna fly_. Was the response.

 _Pfft. I'm not gonna do that._

 _You don't have any choice_.

Suddenly, Britney's limbs no longer belonged to her. She found herself headed up to the roof of STAR Labs. She screamed inside her head, but could not stop. Sheer terror froze up her body of its own accord.

 _Oh, honestly_. Said Azriella. _Have I been wrong yet?_

 _No._

 _Then you're just going to have to trust me, aren't you?_

She was on the roof of STAR Labs.

 _If this doesn't work-_

 _It will._

 _If this doesn't work, it was a privilege knowing you_. Britney continued.

 _Catch you on the flip side_.

Britney knew that if she hesitated now, even to take a breath, that she would never go through with it. This was one of the only things stopping her from suicide anyway that if she even thought of taking her own life, she froze. So, Britney ran forward and jumped.

She had no breath, but what little she would have had would have been taken away. She felt a tingly sort of pain all over her skin. The ground blurred in a cloud of red lightning. When she could see again, she was in a white room covered with hemispheres. Dr. Wells' wheelchair was in the corner. The doctor himself loomed over her. He looked enraged.

"What were you thinking, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? I told you if you were having problems you could come to me. Why, why would you even consider taking your own life?!"

Britney felt Azriella bubble to the surface. Dr. Wells took a step back, his eyes widening as hers turned red.

"She wasn't trying to kill herself. This was simply a training exercise. Had you not caught her, she would have flown." Explained Azriella.

"To whom am I speaking?" asked Dr. Wells, scientific curiosity getting the better of him.

"She calls me Azriella van Helsing. I am an alternate version of her who can travel between dimensions and keep my other selves company."

"So you could do this before the particle accelerator?" Asked Dr. Wells, sharp as a tie tack.

"Yes. But the particle accelerator made things easier." Replied Azriella.

"Can you do anything else?" queried Dr. Wells.

"Yes. As I am a hybrid creature of dragon and siren, I can both fly and sing. Unfortunately, for me to be able to share these abilities with my other selves, there needs to be a biochemical catalyst. Adrenaline, of course, being the easiest." Rattled off Azriella.

"May I speak to Britney?" Dr. Wells asked.

"Go ahead. She can hear everything we are saying and she has some questions of her own."

"Britney," Dr. Wells asked, "Are you… comfortable with this arrangement?"

"Yes, Dr. Wells. It feels as though I finally have a friend." Britney replied.

Dr. Wells sighed. "I suppose I can answer your questions now."

"You can walk?"

"Obviously."

"How?"

"I wasn't paralyzed by the particle accelerator."

"Then why-?"

"Why the charade? I need the wheelchair to sort of 'charge' my abilities. They come and go. Think of it as a battery pack."

"Abilities?"

"I have almost the exact same powers as the Flash."

"The Flash?"

"That's what people in the future call Barry Allen."

"The future?"

"I'm from the 25th Century to be exact."

"And you're just like the Flash?"

"Oh, I'm not like the Flash at all. Some would say I'm the reverse."

"The Reverse-Flash?" Britney tested out.

Dr. Wells smirked. "I kind of like that name. But don't tell Cisco. Or anybody, about any of this. "

"Why not?"

Dr. Wells sighed again. "I've done some terrible things. Things the others will not forgive me for."

"What things?"

"I can't tell you. You'd turn from me if I did. I can't- I can't risk losing you."

"What-why?"

"Isn't it obvious? The one thing I told myself was to not get attached. To me, all of you have been dead for centuries. Yet, I could not help but be attached to you. You're smarter than you'd like to believe, more beautiful than you think an you're just so- so you." Dr. Wells sighed again. "This wasn't how I meant to ask, but will you go out with me?

"Like, on a date?"

"Yes, like on a date."

"I'd be happy to, Reverse-Flash."

"Call me Harrison."

"Okay… Harrison."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Sorry for being away for so long and for how short this chapter is. Finals are kicking my ass. This episode is going rather slowly, do you people want me to skip to content in Rogue Air? Lemme know in the reviews section. Thank you to everyone who's already left a review. You people kick ass.

"You lied to us! How could you not tell us you're experiencing dizzy spells! God knows what's going on inside your body! You could be experiencing a cardiopulmonary failure or transient ischemic attack!" Prattled Caitlin, hardly stopping to draw breath.

Barry looked a question at Dr. Wells.

"Mini-stroke. Probably not." Answered Wells.

 _Shouldn't he know what a mini-stroke is if he's a CSI?_ Britney asked mentally.

 _It's probably because a mini-stroke is usually nonfatal._ Replied Azriella.

Caitlin was yelling again. "-of all people should know that in science, we share. We do NOT keep secrets." She stalked away.

"Wow, I haven't seen anyone make her that angry since Ronnie." Cisco said as he passed off his tablet to Dr. Wells and went after her.

"What about me?" Called Britney.

"What about you?" Barry asked.

"Surely, I can do annoying better than you." Britney snapped playfully, but also a touch bitterly.

"Enough." Said Dr. Wells- Harrison.

"Ronnie was Caitlin's fiancé?" Inquired Barry, apparently trying to change the subject.

"Yes, he is sorely missed." Harrison turned to face Barry again. "Let's figure out why this is happening to you.

"How much you wanna bet it's something really simple like he's not eating enough.

"Let's not get our hopes up." Said Harrison.

(Time Jump)

"We're all set." Cisco told Barry.

Barry looked doubtfully at the STAR Labs cardboard boxes.

"Little padding. Just in case." Cisco informed him.

"You sure about this, Cisco?" Barry called as he approached the treadmill.

Britney tuned out for a second as Cisco replied. _What am I doing here again? It's not like I'm of any use._

 _You're here because otherwise you would be training and Harrison insisted on being there next time._

 _Oh, yeah_. Britney blushed a little at the memory.

 _Pay attention, hopeless_. Azriella told her, exasperatedly, yet fondly.

As Barry blurred into speed, Harrison mimed an "And go" motion at him. He was, to Britney's surprise, smiling like a delighted child.

 _He's so pretty_. She thought dreamily.

 _Focus_. Azriella replied.

"Heartbeat, blood pressure, nerve conduction all normal." Caitlin rattled off.

"For Barry." Harrison interjected.

"Brainwave function within standard limits." Caitlin continued.

Harrison closed his eyes momentarily in irritation. "Caitlin, look at the glucose levels."

"Oh, wow, it was so obvious!" Caitlin said.

"So obvious _I called it_." Muttered Britney.

Harrison cast her an amused look before switching on the intercom, "Barry, we think we know why you keep-"

There was a dull thump as Barry hit the padding. Britney covered her face with her hands as she tried not to laugh.

"Passing out." Harrison continued.  
"I passed out again?" Barry asked as he came to several hours later.

"Total metabolic failure brought on by acute hypoglycemia."

"I'm not eating enough." Barry realized.

"Called it!" Britney said in a sing song voice from the elevator as she came back from yet another burger run.

"So, an IV bag and I'm good to go. Barry said, ignoring her. Cisco laughed and turned him toward the empty IV bags.

"Try 40. Guess you were thirsty." Said Harrison as Britney handed him a to-go cup full of coffee to replace his nearly empty mug. "Thank you, Britney."

"We need to fashion you a new diet based on your metabolic changes." Caitlin said as she went to work.

"I've done a few calculations. You need to consume an amount equal to roughly 850 tacos. Unless we're talking cheese and guac, which is like, a whole other set of equations." Cisco told him.

"For Mexican, I recommend Tito's on Bruckner Avenue. Best burrito in the city." West stated as he walked in.  
 _Uh-oh_. Britney thought as she quickly dropped the food on the table and fled. She could hear the warning note of I-am-the-parent-and-you-done-fucked-up in his voice. _I am such a coward._

 _Trust me, you do NOT want to see the family drama about to go down._ Azriella informed her _. Go read a book, Harrison will get you when it's time to train._


	5. Chapter 5: Rogue Air

A/N: I decided to skip a whole bunch of episodes/content because I got bored. If you really want to read the content I skipped, I'll go back to it eventually. Let me know, won't you?

Captain Cold sauntered into the room, mouthing off at Joe while Barry attempted to keep the peace between Team Flash and Team Rogue. After the cease-fire meeting, Britney wandered, her hand going to her pocket. After seeing what her boyfriend had done to Eddie- no, not even now. She could not use *that.*

(Flashback)

Barry took a vial from Caitlin and thrust it into Britney's hands.

"Have you found him yet?" He snapped.

"Have you?" She retorted. "What's this?"

"It's a serum to lessen a speedster's speed, at least in theory." Caitlin informed her.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" Britney asked.

"See?! I knew she was going to ask this!" Barry yelled.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Britney demanded.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe YOU'VE BEEN SLEEPING WITH THE MAN THAT KILLED MY MOTHER!" Barry shouted.

"We think Dr. Wells- Eobard Thawne- will let his guard down around you long enough for you to slip it to him." Cisco told Britney, trying to deescalate the situation.

(End Flashback)

Britney's flashback was interrupted by the sight of Captain Cold and his sister near the truck they were supposed to be using to transport the metas.

"I'm guessing you're not here already because you are eager to help." Britney stated, anger from her flashback not fading easily.

"No. We're going to mess with the container and release your metahumans." Drawled Captain Cold.

"Why would you do that- scratch that, I don't care. Why are you telling _me_ about it?" Britney asked.

"Because no one is going to believe you, even if you did tell." Replied Lisa Snart.

"Oh, really? Watch this." Britney turned on her heel and marched over to Team Flash. "Guys, Team Rogue is messing with the cargo container."

"They don't have the technical know-how to do that." Said Caitlin.

"Oh, yes they do. They're gonna release all the metas!" Britney contradicted flatly.

"And we're supposed to just trust you now?" Asked Cisco.

"What's that supposed to mean? How can you trust a pair of robbing killers over me?!"

"To be fair, they aren't the ones who've been sleeping with the enemy." Said Joe. Barry pointed at Joe and half-smiled, indicating that he had a point.

"Fine! Fine!" Britney said, stomping out. She was seeing red.

"Trouble in paradise?" Asked Captain Cold as she stalked out.

"If you don't kill at least one of them, I will be severely disappointed." She snarled.

"Yes, Ma'am." He saluted her, not-laughing-but-close-to-it.

It took everything Britney had not to punch the smug motherfucker in the face. Just as she was walking to her car, a blur of red lightning caught up to her and carried her away. When she stopped moving, she almost vomited. Her vision swam and she was in unfamiliar surroundings. She did not care. Dr. Wells' welcome face greeted her and that's all that mattered.

"Harrison!- I mean-" She said.

"You can continue to call me Harrison if you like, Britney." Harrison told her.

She ran to him. He flinched a little. She pretended not to notice. She held him like she would never let go.

"It's so good to see you!" She sobbed, crying just a little, OK, maybe a lot.

"… I thought, after what I have done, you would turn from me. I brought you here to explain myself." He said hesitantly.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Britney said, looking up at him. "I understand Barry's point of view, after all, I would hate it if something happened to my mother, but I understand you, too."

Harrison looked askance at her.

"You forget, while I am a devoted daughter, I am also a bullying victim. I understand your rage. I understand the desire for revenge. Not just revenge, but a revenge so complete it destroys the other person completely. I understand."

Harrison was looking at her strangely.

"What?" Britney asked. "What's the matter?"

"May I kiss you?" Harrison asked hoarsely.

Britney grinned. "You may."

(Several Hours Later)

Harrison got up, leaving Britney on his bed.

"Champagne?" He asked.

Britney looked at him. "You know I don't drink."

"Humor me?" he asked.

Britney caved. "Sure."

Harrison left the room. Britney looked at her coat across the room, on the floor.

"We think Harrison will let his guard down around you." Cisco's voice came back to her.

Harrison returned with two glasses of champagne.

"Excuse me, and don't go anywhere." He said playfully as he walked to his master suite bathroom.

Britney then made a mistake she would always hate herself for. She spiked both glasses of champagne with the serum, then returned to her original position on the bed.

 _Why did I do that?_ Britney asked herself.

 _Because it was the right thing to do_. Replied Azriella.

 _I'm not so sure._ Britney replied.

She carefully wiped the uncertainty off her face as the tap stopped running and Harrison stepped out of the bathroom. He approached the bed.

Harrison took a glass from her. "We have to go soon."

"Go? Go where?" asked Britney, genuinely confused.

"I have to return you to the others, and then I need to do battle with Barry." He said.

"Why?"

"So he'll calm down enough to listen to me." Harrison said, draining the glass.

"What?"

"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." Harrison said, clearly enjoying the suspense. At Britney's glare, however, he elaborated, "I'm going to allow him to go back in time and save his mother."

"He can do that?" Britney asked.

"If he runs fast enough." Harrison replied.

Britney narrowed her eyes. "And how does this benefit you?"

Harrison chuckled. "If he goes to save his mother, he'll create a wormhole stable enough to travel to the future."

"So you can go home." Britney realized.

"Do you want to come with me?" Harrison asked.

Britney hesitated, then said, "Yes."


	6. Chapter 6: TW Blood, serious injury

Britney opened the door to reveal Harrison Wells or, more rather, the man who had been impersonating Harrison Wells. His cell looked the same as the others', all padded deep blue and clear glass and thin but sturdy metal. He looked every bit as annoyed as everyone else she had tried to visit when she brought them their meals. Despite this, he looked, if not happy to see her, at least mildly pleased she was there.

"I thought I'd return the favor." She started.

"What favor?" He asked.

"I'm sorry for my hand in putting you in here." She replied.

"You mean the drugs you slipped into my champagne?" he asked slyly.

She gaped. "You knew?!"

"Yes. I flushed out the drug as soon as you weren't looking." Harrison told her.

"So, then, you're not mad?" _That's a dumb question, of course he's mad-_

"I'm disappointed you chose their side over mine, but no, I'm not mad." He said, his eyes shining with something that looked suspiciously like affection.

"I'm still sorry. Goodbye, Harrison." She said sadly.

"Call me Eobard." He said softly.

"Goodbye… Eobard." She turned to close the descending door to the cell.

"Britney!" Eobard called after her.

She turned to face him, trying not to cry.

"Barry will come around. I'm certain of it. When he does, my offer still stands. Would you like to come to the future with me?" Eobard asked.

"… Yes." She said as she closed the door. She had lost the battle against her tears, they now flowed freely down her face, leaving sticky, itchy tracks behind.

(Supermassive time jump)

"Just so you know, after I kill _you_ , I'm going to kill _them_." Eobard said in his distorted voice.

A gunshot rang off behind him. He dropped Barry. He stared as Detective Thawne put the barrel of the gun over his own heart, but before he could pull the trigger again, Eobard yanked the gun out of his hands. Dropping to his knees, he knelt near Britney. Blood was pouring out of her at an alarming pace. She had clearly wrestled the gun away from the detective and had been shot in the struggle. He paused only for a moment before leaving, speeding Britney to the nearest hospital, not trusting Caitlin to patch Britney up, as she was too close to Barry. He was afraid, terrified that Detective Thawne would succeed in killing himself before he reached his destination, but he needn't have worried.

He insisted on being in the room while the doctors attempted to heal Britney. He tried lying that she was his fiancée first, knowing how disappointed she would be if he didn't. Britney may feel ambivalent about his hurting Barry's mother and Team Flash, but total strangers, especially ones that were helping her or being kind to her were off limits. When his lie didn't work, he resorted to threats. All too soon, the Flash, Detective Thawne, and Detective West arrived, pointing their weapons at him.

"It's over, Thawne! Give yourself up!" The Flash shouted.

"It's not over. Not until she wakes up." He replied softly. He turned to Detective Thawne. "If you weren't my ancestor, I'd kill you now. Do you see what you've done?!" He hissed.

"Shut the hell up!" said Detective West.

"No, you shut up. You're disrupting the doctors." Eobard replied sharply.

"Oh, because all of a sudden, you care about us? You killed my mother!" The Flash was furious.

Eobard threw the Flash against the nearest wall and pinned him there. The doctors milled about in concern, but didn't try to stop him. His threats, should Britney not be helped, or him kept away from her, had been quite… colorful.

"I will go with you." Eobard said.

"What?" The Flash was confused.

"I'll go with you. I'll even go quietly, just- just let me be there for her when she wakes up." Said Eobard, defeated.

"If she wakes up." Detective West corrected.

"She'll wake up," Eobard replied before returning to his corner to keep vigil. "she has to."


	7. Chapter 7

"Barry, look out the window, like, right now."

The men turned to the window. Through it, they saw what looked like a giant hole in the sky, sucking out everything beneath it really slowly.

"How do I stop it?!" Shouted Barry over his comm. "Guys?!"

Eobard turned to face Britney and sighed. The doctors had finished patching up the hole in her shoulder, where the bullet had gone clean through it, but she was still out cold.

He crossed the room, kissed her forehead and said, "I will come back for you."

"You have to run around the inner rim of the singularity and someone has to release energy inside it." He told Barry.

"How much energy are we talking?" asked Detective Thawne.

"You're not really buying anything this guy says, are you?" Asked Detective West.

"We don't have a choice." Said Barry. He ran out of the hospital, calling for Firestorm as he did so. Eobard followed.

"We need energy! Can you guys whip something up?" Barry called.

"There's no time!" yelled Professor Stein.

"What do we do?!" Called Ronnie.

"We need to separate in the eye of the Singularity! The energy from the fissure should do the trick!" the Professor called back.

"Ronnie, it's too dangerous, what if you can't escape the inrush?!" Caitlin screamed over the wind.

"Cait, we have to try." Ronnie kissed her, then merged with the professor.

"Thawne, what are you doing here?" Barry called to the other speedster running around the Singularity's rim.

"Helping!" Eobard snapped back.

They both glanced up to see Firestorm flying directly into the singularity.

"Professor! Ronnie! No!" Barry shouted. Thankfully, he did not stop running. That would have been a death sentence. Firestorm ignored him, and ripped off their quantum splicer, separating them in the eye of the storm. Barry rushed to grab the falling professor, while Eobard grabbed Ronnie and ran him to safety nearby. Leaving behind the exhausted bodies of Ronnie, Barry and the Professor behind, he returned to Britney's side. He knew there was no running for him in the near future, as the last of his speed left him shortly outside Britney's door. He had to jog the last couple of steps at a normal pace.

With a sense of déjà vu, he said, "Britney, Britney, please wake up."

The Flash, Detective Thawne and Detective West burst through the door. He paid them no mind. Until they got too close.

"What are you doing?" He asked, still staring at Britney.

"We're here to take you in, Thawne." Barry growled, spitting his name out like a curse.

"…You expect me to leave Britney on her own like this?" Eobard asked.

"I'm sorry, Thawne, but you having a girlfriend does not stop us from putting you behind bars." Stated Detective West.

"Just- just give me a second, will you?" Said Eobard, voice shaking. He then scribbled a note to Britney and left it on her bedside table, placed conspicuously so she would see it.

"I surrender." Said Eobard in a defeated, hollow voice. Detective West moved to cuff him, then hesitated.

"What does the note say?" He asked Eobard, only to get no reply.

Detective Thawne snatched up the note, read it, then set it down again.

"He told her where he would be and apologized for not being there when she woke up."

"Anything else?" Barry inquired.

"…He asked her to marry him." Detective Thawne said.

"I hope she tells your ass no!" Joe snapped at Eobard before forcing him away from Britney. Barry and Detective Thawne followed, but said nothing, leaving Britney completely and utterly alone.


	8. Chapter 8: Sings the Bad Touch

Britney opened her eyes to see Caitlin and Ronnie hovering by her bedside.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.

"Dr.-Eobard asked us to watch over you, to make sure you didn't wake up alone." Caitlin informed her.

"Thank you." Britney said.

"It was the least we could do." Ronnie spoke up. "Eobard saved my life."

"Where is he?" Britney inquired.

Caitlin and Ronnie looked at each other, then away quickly.

"He's in Iron Heights, doing time for Simon Stagg and Nora Allen's murders." Caitlin told her. "He left you a note, it's on your bedside table."

Britney eagerly picked up the note and unfolded it.

"He also said not to worry about medical expenses. He's paying for them from prison." Caitlin went on, but Britney was only half listening.

 _Dear Britney,_

 _I'm sorry I can't be there when you wake up. I may not be seeing you for a long time in fact._

 _I wanted to do this properly, with flowers and a ring, but will you marry me?_

 _Come visit me if you can,_

 _Eobard._

Britney began to cry.

"Is that a good cry or a bad cry?" Ronnie asked.

"He asked me to marry him!" Britney said.

"That's great news!" Replied Caitlin.

"I know, but I may never see him again!" Britney wailed.

"Don't be silly." Said Caitlin. "He's only sentenced to thirty years in prison, and he may

get his sentence commuted for good behavior.

"You think so?" asked Britney.

"When Doc- Eobard wants something, he usually works hard for it. If he wants to see you again, powers or no powers, he will find a way." Caitlin said.

"He lost his powers again?" Britney asked.

"Looks like it's for good this time. No recharges, no nothing." Said Ronnie.

Britney's fingers curled around the note before she brought it to her chest, over her heart.

"I want to see him." She said, determined.

"Are you sure? How do you know he won't manipulate you?" Caitlin asked.

"Caitlin, it doesn't matter if he's manipulating me. I love him. Wow, was that sappy. Why did I say that out loud again?" asked Britney.

"You said it because it's true." Said Caitlin sadly.

(Page break)

It took six months, but Britney was finally able to see Eobard. Before she saw him, however, she sent little gifts and a plethora of letters. She held off answering his question about marriage, however, and he never brought it up in his replies to her letters. She planned to see him after the Flash Rally. It felt like a double betrayal, going at all, a betrayal of the Flash Team (who made it clear after she was up and about that they wanted nothing to do with her), and a betrayal of Eobard, but she wanted to go, regardless. Even if she hated crowds. Even if none of Team Flash saw her there, supporting them. Even if she had chosen them over her boyfriend, negligible though her choice had been in the end.

She saw a sea of red and yellow and had to fight the urge to hit something. How dare they? Flash wasn't even the hero that day, and all of them knew it. Her boyfriend had been just as present that day, just as important, and yet, while he rotted behind bars, this crowd adulated the Flash.

She saw others in the crowd, standing on the green grass under that bright blue sky. She saw Iris with Eddie, Martin Stein with Clarissa, Caitlin with Ronnie, Cisco and Joe, hell, even the Rogues had turned up, even if they were disguised to be unobtrusive. All of them were chanting, "Flash, Flash, Flash…" As the mayor gave some inane speech about the Flash and other, less savory metahumans, about heroism and debt, Britney saw a black-clad figure cut through the crowd and then slip away.

 _What?_ Britney thought, then a vending cart was thrown at the Flash and the Mayor, and all hell broke loose. She was nearly trampled as the crowd ran every which way trying to escape. Britney muscled through it, somehow, and saw the black-clad masked man posturing against Barry. Cisco and Joe had a weapon they called "The boot" which they used to try to trap the metahuman.

It failed. The metahuman simply grew too large and snapped off the ankle-holdy-thingy.

"Run!" Joe told Cisco. Cisco ran. Barry picked up two propane tanks.

"What are we doing?!" Called Joe.

"I'm throwing, you're shooting!" Barry called back.

 _That's not gonna work_. Britney thought desperately. She was right. The masked man simply dodged the flames as they came for him, advancing on the Flash and Joe.

Britney began to sing:

"Yes I'm Cisco/Yes I'm Eobard/and you're getting two thumbs up/you had enough of two hand touch/you want it rough/you're out of bounds/I want you smothered-"

While the masked man was concentrating on her, Barry threw another tank and Joe fired. Distracted, he caught the full brunt of the flames this time, shrunk, and ran off. Britney, for her part, had ducked and rolled away from the flames. She still felt the heat of them, but remained unsinged.

"Are you okay?" Barry asked, concern in his voice.

"Like you care." Britney retorted, brushing dirt off of herself. She then stalked off to see her boyfriend.

"…And then he had the nerve to ask me if I was okay! After making it perfectly clear he doesn't give a damn about me!" Britney finished recounting the story to Eobard.

"Sounds like you had quite the adventure today." Eobard said.

"Oh, I meant to tell you, I brought a ring. I only just managed to convince the guards to allow it in." Britney said, showing him.

"It's a nice ring." Eobard said.

"…Did you really want to marry me, or did you just want company during visitor hours?" Britney asked.

"I really wanted to marry you. I know thirty years is a long time to wait, but-"

"It's not too long for me. The ring is to your liking?" Britney asked again.

"Yes, it's gorgeous, why?" Eobard asked curiously.

"Well, I bought it with the money you sent with the lawyer last week-"

"You earned that money to do with it whatever you wished, why are you showing me the ring?" Eobard asked impatiently.

"…For a former professor, you can be really thick." Britney said as she stood. "Ahem, I humbly accept your offer of marriage and the token of your affection." She slipped the ring onto her left ring finger. "I had just enough money left over to buy a red rose. I know you wanted to do this properly, but this is the best I can do under the circumstances. The rose is in a vase at home."

"So you've moved in, then?" Eobard asked, eyes shining.

"Someone needs to keep the place warm for you." She said tartly.

A knock came from the guarded doorway on Britney's side of the glass. Britney turned.

"A call came for you, ma'am. He says his name is Cisco and its urgent."

Britney faced Eobard.

"Go." He said. "I'll see you soon, I hope."

Britney smiled. "See you soon."

Britney walked over and accepted her phone from the guard with a whispered, "Thanks."

To Cisco, she said, "This had better be important."


	9. 9 ft Kesha & why are they being nice?

A/N: So, apparently I can't fix previous chapters because I don't know how. Also, Britney puts the ring on her ring finger, not index finger. Song in previous chapter was "Bad Touch" by the Bloodhound Gang, hence the title. In this she sings "Die Young" by Ke$ha.

"Cisco, I'm here." Britney called. The doors unlocked, and she stepped inside the building.

"Cisco?" Britney called once she reached the Cortex.

"What are you doing here?" the Flash asked.

"Chill, bro, I'm just giving her the new keys and ID badge. It _is_ her building, after all." Cisco said, handing the objects over to Britney, who blushed.

"I still can't believe he gave me the building." She said, staring at the floor.

"Yeah, well, we're still using it as our base of operations." Snapped Barry.

"That's cool, I don't mind. Is that all, Cisco?" Britney replied.

"There's… one other thing…" Cisco began.

"Don't bother telling her until we know Jay is for real." Said Barry before stalking away.

"Telling me what?" asked Britney.

"There's this guy, Jay, claims he's a speedster from another Earth, or, well, used to be a speedster, he lost his speed apparently…" Cisco began.

"Oh, okay. Barry doesn't buy it?" Britney asked sympathetically.

"Well, you have to admit, another Earth? That's pretty out there." Said Barry, annoyed as he returned.

"Not really, it's where I get my powers from." Replied Britney.

"Powers? You don't have any powers." Barry said confidently.

"Well, actually…" Said Cisco.

"What? She has powers? Why didn't you tell me?" inquired Barry.

"…Because I asked him not to." Britney defended Cisco. "I have great power that I use mainly as a distraction, because that's all I'm good for. Besides, I thought that would have been obvious after the rally."

"So, what, singing is your superpower?" Barry asked dubiously.

"Singing helps me _concentrate_ my power." Britney replied. "Which explains why you and Joe remained focused. I wasn't aiming for you."

Barry laughed snidely. "And you believe this?" He asked Cisco.

"Well, seeing is believing." Said Cisco. There was a pause. "Britney, sing for us, would you?"

Britney sighed, then began:

"I hear your heart beat/to the beat of the drums/oh what a shame that you came here with someone/so while you're here in my arms/let's make the most of the night/like we're gonna die young-"

"I think you've made your point, Britney." Caitlin said as she stepped into the room, accompanied by a man Britney hadn't seen before.

"Jay, I presume?" Britney asked, as Cisco and Barry came back to themselves and stopped dancing like monkeys on acid.

"Yeah, that's me. And you are?" Jay asked, holding out a hand.

"Britney, resident Flash traitor and current owner of STAR Labs." She said, taking his hand.

"Traitor?" Jay inquired curiously, though his grip didn't falter.

"Barry didn't tell you?" Britney asked.

"Tell me what?" asked Jay.

"…I fell in love with the man who murdered Barry's mother." Britney replied. "He hasn't trusted me since."

"That's a tough break… For both of you." Said Jay kindly.

"Yeah, I just came from visiting him in prison." Britney said.

"What's that on your hand?" asked Caitlin.

"Oh, this?" Britney held up her hand to show her the ring on her ring finger. "I bought this. With Eobard's money. Sort of a 'I said yes' type deal."

"You said yes?" Caitlin asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I did. Probably foolish of me, but-"

"No, no, no! That's fantastic! I'm so happy for you!" Caitlin said, hugging Britney.

"Uh, are we forgetting that this is the man who KILLED MY MOTHER?!" demanded Barry.

"No, no, of course not!" Caitlin assured him.

"Yes." Said Britney angrily.

"What was that?" Barry asked, equally angry.

"Yes, we are forgetting that he's the man who killed your mom. I get it. It was your mom. You are sad. But you can't keep using that as an excuse to stay angry at us!" Britney didn't realize she was shouting until she stopped talking. She was so angry. She just wanted Barry to treat her like a human being, not that he'd ever done so.

"Watch me!" Barry shouted back. "Let's take Jay to a cell for the time being."

"Barry, you can't just-" Caitlin started.

"Yes, I can!" Barry said, dragging Jay away.

Iris walked over to Britney. Britney flinched, expecting a blow. Iris, however, hugged her.

"I can't forgive what he did to Barry's mother, but I've been meaning to thank you, Britney." Iris said.

"What on earth for?" Britney asked.

"For taking the gun away from Eddie. Without you, Eddie wouldn't be here, so, thank you." Iris stepped away and began talking to Caitlin about Barry's sudden trust issues, leaving Britney standing in the middle of the room, flabbergasted.

"You have more friends here than you think." Cisco said, clapping her on the arm and returning to his workshop.

"Indeed, Ms. Stuart, you may count on us!" Called Professor Stein from Cisco's workshop.

Britney was confused. Surely they didn't actually _like_ her? That made no sense. No one liked her, not even in her school days before she started "sleeping with the enemy" as Joe had put it. Besides, everyone was too close to the Flash to like someone who was sleeping with his reverse. Deciding that they were just being polite to manipulate her, Britney went home to get some rest. It had been a long day, after all.


End file.
